Updates on the Predators and Blue Jackets, plus the latest on Raffi Torres, Derek Roy, Daniel Paille, Jack Skille and Magnus Paajarvi.
Can Mike Fisher hold off Father Time this coming season?
THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators depth at center could be a concern this season, as aging pivots Mike Ribeiro and Mike Fisher must prove they still have something left in the tank, while free-agent acquisition Cody Hodgson tries to get his NHL career back on track.
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS: Sharks forward Raffi Torres claims his surgically repaired right knee feels good but he’s taking a cautious approaching when training camp opens this week. The injury caused Torres to miss all of last season.
THE WASHINGTON POST: The Capitals signed center Derek Roy to a professional tryout contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With first-line center Nicklas Backstrom’s return from offseason hip surgery still unknown, this is obviously an insurance move by the Capitals.
CSN CHICAGO: The Blackhawks invited forward Daniel Paille to training camp on a PTO. Paille could fill the spot vacated by the traded Joakim Nordstrom, who was sent to Carolina in Friday’s Kris Versteeg deal.
THE DENVER POST’s Mike Chambers reports UFA forward Jack Skille will likely attend Colorado Avalanche training camp on a PTO.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: After spending much of last season in the minors, Blues forward Magnus Paajarvi is out to prove he’s still NHL-worthy.
NBC SPORTS: The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired former player Fredrik Modin as an advisor, while Dan Hinote returns to the front office after taking off last season for family reasons.
This article in the Tennessean was written by someone called Adam Vingan as part of a Preditors pre season preview. Has anyone ever heard of Adam Vinagan?
Yes Riberio & Fisher are getting on in years & both got 2 year deals, Hodgson was brought in & Gaustad is the shut down face off specialist but Jarnkrok played C as a rookie last season & will most likely move to wing to accommodate Hodgson. Wilson & Smith can both play C but play LW & RW respectively currently. Wilson was drafted as a centre as was Smith & has played C in the NHL. Watson & Scissons are both ready to advance & even when Riberio & Fisher are ready to pack it in, with out drafting, trading or acquiring a UFA center Nashville has 6 other options currently & several other solid prospect C’s coming. Nashville selected C’s with their 1st 3 picks this season & 1 of their best prospects Kamenev a C was drafted in the 2nd round last season.
Although lacking the top flight C by name recognition, Riberio was 44th in NHL points last season for all players only 2 out of the top 30, 21st for C’s. His 47 assists ties him 12th overall 9th for C’s. It may not be Crosby & Malkin but Nashville scored 9 more goals than Pittsburgh last season or Getzlaf & Kesler 2 less goals than Anaheim. It works & gets the job done & if I’m Poile & Laviolette I have no concerns. This is a young team especially on defense & Nashville has allot more to give adjusting to playing Laviolette’s system than the 1 played by Trotz. Smith & wilson are just coming into their own, Neil can be significantly better than last season, Forsberg is just scratching the surface of his vast potential & their are a bunch of solid prospects coming especially Faila who appears ready to play now & they signed UFA Moses who was the 7th highest scorer in the KHL last season playing for Jokerit.
How did Vingan turn this into a negative?
If you followed Vingan’s work on a regular basis (as I do), you’d realize he’s the Tennessean’s regular Predators beat writer. All he’s doing is pointing out what could be legitimate concerns at center. Dial it back a bit, Striker. It’s one thing to disagree with Vingan, but to blithely dismiss him by insinuating he doesn’t follow the Predators is unnecessary and does nothing to support your opinion.
Lyle.
Whoa. Your getting awfully touchy. I just pointed out the positives. Vingan’s article was actually quite tame & made no negative references specifically but expressed facts & common assumptions, age, Riberio & Fisher & Hodgson’s tribulations. All generic uninformative useless data essentially. The negative came from your Coles notes version. Your statement, not Vingan’s of.
“The Nashville Predators depth at center could be a concern this season.”
No where in Vingan’s article did he make this statement yet I get the impression from reading your post it’s taken verbatim as it’s not in your comments section & no I don’t read the Tennessean beat writer. I have never found him to provide any useful insight, nor do I imagine almost any of your readers have ever heard of him. For my Nashville info my go to guy’s are blogger’s Paul McCann & Tony Piscotta.
It’s an open forum is it not? I always though we were here to voice our thoughts, share opinions & debate topics not be reprimanded by the Site operator. I thought my post was quite tame. If you don’t want my revenue just let me know & I’ll refrain from using Spectorshockey as a must read.
I didn’t insinuate he doesn’t follow the Predators. I just implied he’s not looking at the whole picture & has limited credibility with me.
Striker, it was very obvious your original comments were intended to be dismissive of Vingan’s knowledge of the Predators. Indeed, if Vingan’s comments were as innocuous as you suggest in your follow-up, what merited your lengthy diatribe in the first place, followed by your questioning how Vingan could find anything negative to write about? Furthermore, the headline for Vingan’s article asked if the Predators depth at center will hold up.That means it’s a concern.
As for being touchy, look in the mirror. It is an open forum, meaning I have the right (and so does anyone else) to question your comments, to “take you to task”, as you repeatedly love to humblebrag about doing to me. Whatever you do with your patronage is up to you. Visit, don’t visit, that’s your call. But don’t play the wounded butterfly when someone rebuts your comments.
“If you don’t want my revenue just let me know & I’ll refrain from using Spectorshockey as a must read.”
Who’s been twisting your arm forcing you to come here?
Well yes it turns out someone has heard of him.